Resilient wheel.



W. MORRIS.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.19. 1914.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WEI-67166666 W. MORRIS.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION man OCT. 19, 1914.

1,159,786, Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAM MORRIS, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed October 19, 1914. Serial No. 867,361.

- To all whom it may concern:

* tain new and usetul Improvement in Resilient Wheels, 0t which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a resilient wheel of the type wherein a seriesof independently movable block tire sections are resiliently mountedupon an inner rim or telly.

The object ot the invention is to provide a resilient wheel of the typementioned, wherein the load which is carried upon the wheel will bedistributed throughout the spring elements of the wheel.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a resilientwheel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through aportion of one of the blocks of the tire. Fig. 3 is a tront elevation ofa portion ot one of the blocks.

. Fig. 4 is a plan view looking upward upon a portion of one ot theblocks. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the springs andretaining parts therefor removed. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevationshowing the manner of securing a spring to the telly of the wheel. Fig.7 is a section at right angles to the showing in Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is atransverse section of the showing in Fig. 6.

The wheel of my invention comprises an inner portion made up of a hub,telly, and

connecting spokes and an outer tread portion which is made up otsubstantially in dependent sections, which sections are supported fromthe telly by a series of overlapping resilient elements, each of whichis at one end secured to the telly and at its oposite end secured to asection of the tread; and intermediate of its end each resilient elementhas a sliding engagement with a tread 7 section.

Each resilient element is preferably a strip of spring steel secured tothe telly in a manner such that it extends substantially tangential withrespect to the telly, and in an overlapping series.

The hub is indicated at 1, and a series of radiating spokes are shown at2, which support a telly 3. Upon the outside ot the telly is an ironband or hoop 4 which is shrunk or secured upon the telly '3 in anydesired i manner, The telly 3 is provided with grooves upon oppositesides thereof and adjacent clips 6,which grooves are indicated at 5 inFig. 7 These grooves extend inwardly beneath the band or hoop 4, so thatthe band or hoop overhangs the groove.

Cooperating with the telly ot the wheel, or more particularly speaking,with the hoop. 4 are a series of retaining clips or anchors which aregenerally represented at 6. Each retaining clip or anchor comprises apair of oppositely disposed side pieces 6 and 6 The side pieces areprovided with grooves which are adapted to engage with the projectingedges ot the hoop 4, and the upper portion of the side pieces 6 and 6are also provided with grooves represented at 6 which are adapted toreceive the edges of one ot the spring elements of the wheel.

The side pieces 6 and 6 are secured together by bolts 7 which extendtransversely ot the telly ot the wheel and between the spring elementengaged by the plates 6 and 6 and the hoop 4. In the drawings I haveshown two such bolts 7 cooperating with each pair of side plates 6 and 6The end 0t each spring element which is engaged by the side platesot aretaining clip 6, is positively held against movement. by a'pin 8 whichextends through a conical opening centrally disposed in the spring andnear the end thereof. Each retaining pin is provided with an enlargedcentral portion 8 which is ot sufficient width to occupy the spacebetween the end of, a spring element and the band 4. The upper part otthe retaining pin 8 is swaged so as to practically form a rivetedconnection between each spring element and the retaining. pin associatedtherewith. The lower partot each retaining pin 8 extends into one ot aseries of openings which are formed in the band 4, these openings beingrepresented at 4*. It will thus be seen that the end of each springelement is retained against lateral movement support sections of a tireor tread portion which are generally represented at 10. Each of thetread sections is split longitudinally forming two parts which aresecured together by transversely extending bolts, as represented at 11.Tn the drawing I have shown two bolts as securing the sections of thetread together, but 1 do not limit myself in this respect. Each of thetread sections is formed with a pair of oppositely disposed inwardlyextending flanges which form pockets adapted to receive blocks 12 ofresilient material. These blocks are formed with outwardly extendingbead portions 12 which are engaged by and beneath the inwardly extendingflanges of the sections 10. This construction will be well understood bythose skilled in the art, as it is a well known method of securing solidresilient tires of the type shown in this application.

Each tread section is at one end provided with a single projecting lug1O which lug is split,one-half of the lug being carried by each of thehalves of the section. However, when the parts of the tread section aretogether, the effect is to form a single projecting lug. From theopposite end of each tread section there extends a pair of spacedprojecting lugs 10 hen adjacent sections are alined in the wheel, theyare arranged so that the single lug at one end of a section extendsbetween the pair of lugs upon an adjacent section. This constructionpermits free radial movement of the sections but prevents side movementor twisting movement between adjacent sections.

The various tread sections which are the ground engaging portions of thewheel, are substantially independent of each other, except as there is acertain connection between the sections through the mounting of thesprings.

Each section 10 is provided with a plurality of pairs of inwardlyextended lugs. Two such pairs are shown and indicated. at 13 and 14. Thelugs of each pair 13 and 14 are oppositely disposed and in transversealinement. I prefer to pass the bolts 11 which connect the two parts ofeach tread section through the oppositely disposed portions of lugs 13and 14:.

From each of the oppositely disposed portions of the lugs 13 there areextensions 13 and 13 and between the extensions 13 and 13 there is uponeach lug 13 a short teatwhich is represented at 13 The teat is split,half being carried by each of the oppositely disposed lugs 13.

The end of each spring element 9 is provided with an opening of propersize to receive the teat 13, thus forming an anchor for the end of thespring element, and, as will be clear, the end of the spring elementextends between the lugs 13 and 13 which have previously been described.Therefore the end of each spring element is held against side movementand against any longitudinal movement, which would be independent of themovement of the tire sections themselves.

Between each pair of projections 13 and 13 and below the spring elementwhich engages with the projection 13, there extends a second springelement, which engages with and may slide upon that portion of thespring element which cooperates with the projection 13. The springelement which has the sliding engagement just described is that springelement which is next, in the order of arrangement of the series ofspring elements to the spring element which is secured upon teat 13. Across strap 15 is at its opposite ends secured to the projections 13 and13 in any desired manner, and this strap 15 extends beneath the springelement which is free to slide between the projections 13 and 13 Thestrap 15 therefore serves to hold both the spring element which has theengagement with the teat 13 and the spring element which may slide, butthe last mentioned spring element is prevented from having any lateralmovement by virtue of its engagement with the extensions 13 and 13 Theconstruction and arrangement of .the pair of lugs 14 is similar in allrespects to that described with respect to lugs 13, as well as themanner of cooperation between the spring elements and the pair of lugs.In fact all the lugs upon the-tread sections and their engagement withthe spring elements are similar.

The spring element which at its end is secured to the teat 13 will passbetween the pair of lugs H and have a sliding engagement with theselugs, being retained in proper position by a strap joining the pair oflugs 1 1 similar to the strap 15.

It will be seen from the drawing and previous description that eachsection of the tread has two points of support with respect treadsections, one of the connections being fixed and the other a slidingconnection; and further at each point of support for a tread sectionthere is a fixed connection between one of the resilient elements and asliding engagement between one of the resilient elements.

Vhen the load is placed upon a wheel and the wheel is in motion, theload will be in succession transferred to succeeding sections of thetire, and each block or section as it is pressed inwardly with respectto the hub of the wheel will cause the resilient elenents with which itis connected to be depressed. Due to the fact that each succeedingspring element is connected with the spring elements of the block underpressure, the force which is causing a depression of the springssupporting the particular block or section bearing the weight, todistribute the load and pass it on until the entire reac tion due to theload is absorbed throughout the various resilient elements embodied inthe wheel, so that the resilient elements which are connected with anyparticular section of the tire which is bearing the weight of thevehicle does not bear this weight alone, but shares the weight with theother resilient elements of the wheel.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is 1. A resilient wheel,comprising an inner portion, a plurality of substantially tangentiallyextending spring elements secured to the inner portion, a tread portionc0mpris ing a plurality of sections, each section having two points ofsupport with respect to the spring elements, each point of support beingsecured to a spring element, and also having a sliding engagement with aspring element.

2. A resilient wheel comprising an inner portion having a felly, anouter or tread portion comprising a plurality of sections, a pluralityof spring elements secured at one end to the felly and extendingoutwardly and circumferentially, each section of the tread beingsupported at two points upon a spring element and spring elementsintermediate those before mentioned which sup port portions of adjacenttread sections.

3. A resilient wheel comprising an inner portion having a felly, anouter or tread portion comprising a plurality of sections, a pluralityof spring elements secured at ne end to the felly and extendingoutwardly and circumferentially, each section of the tread having an endof a spring element secured to one part of the section and another partof the section having a. sliding engagement with another part of thesame spring element and spring elements intermediate those justmentioned supporting portions of adjacent tread sections.

A. A resilient wheel comprising an inner portion having a felly, anouter or tread portion comprising a plurality of sections, each sectionhaving inwardly extending lugs adjacent the ends thereof, aplurality ofoverlapping spring elements, each secured at one endto the felly,certain spring elements being held at one of their ends to one of thelugs upon each section, and slidably secured to the other lug upon thesection, and other spring elements intermediate those just mentionedengaging lugs upon adjacent tread sections, one lug fixedly and anotherlug slidably.

5. A resilient wheel comprising an inner portion-having a felly, anouter tread portion comprising a plurality of sections, each sectionbeing provided with pairs of transversely spaced lugs adjacent to theends thereof, a plurality of overlapping leaf soring elements, eachhaving an end secured to the felly and each having its opposite endextend between the lugs of one pair upon a section and secured thereto,an intermediate ortion of each spring element extending between the lugsof another pair upon a section and means for retaining the said springsection between said lugs, but permitting the spring element to slide.

6. A resilient wheel comprising an inner portion having a felly and anouter portion comprising a plurality of independent tread sections, aplurality of resilient elements secured to the said felly, each sectionbeing su ported at two points by the said resilient elements, each pointof support comprising a fixed engagement with one spring element and asliding engagement with an adjacent spring element.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

WVILLIAM MORRIS. WVitnesses A. J. HUDsoN, L. I. PORTER.

Co ies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissionerof Patents,

Washington, D. G.

